


you showed me love

by peachplease



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hints of angst? I guess, Humor, Kissing, Someone please tell A.J he's only 6, Telltale please be gentle in episode 2, We going Fluff City, mentions of everyone else - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 16:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15976526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachplease/pseuds/peachplease
Summary: Even after everything that’s happened, Louis knows A.J isn’t a bad kid. He’s a kid who only knows survival. If Louis can show him that not everything in this world is kill or be killed, that he’s allowed to let his guard down and just be a child and have fun for a moment, then he’ll take every opportunity he’s given to do just that.Not only for A.J, but for another person too.





	you showed me love

**Author's Note:**

> my love for clem and louis has avalanched in the days since playing episode 1 so i wrote this! it's set like a month or so after marlon... y'kno... 
> 
> enjoy ♡

“I have a surprise for you,” A.J says to Louis.

Louis sits on top of the wooden desk in Clementine and A.J’s room, his long legs swinging off the edge lazily, as the younger boy sits properly at the desk and draws on a torn piece of paper.

This is a regular night for “Team Fun”—as Louis had dubbed them that time in the woods. Once or twice a week he'll show up at their door when everyone else has retreated into the dorm for the night and hang out with his little buddy. Little buddies—if Tenn came along.

It's entertaining hanging out with A.J. He's always eager to learn what Louis knows—whether that's piano, or trap-making, sometimes even singing—and he always laughs at his jokes.

It’s nice to know that his humor is appreciated by _someone_ , okay?

And yeah, all those things are nice, but Louis has to admit it's flattering that the kid admires him. Makes him feel like he's doing this thing called “life-in-the-apocalypse” pretty okay. Even after everything that’s happened, Louis knows A.J isn’t a bad kid. He’s a kid who only knows survival. If Louis can show him that not everything in this world is kill or be killed, that he’s allowed to let his guard down and just be a _child_ and have fun for a moment, then he’ll take every opportunity he’s given to do just that.

Not only for A.J, but for another person too.

His eyes wander to Clementine, who is sitting on the edge of her bed, watching A.J with a fond look and a small smile on her face. Her head is void of her typical cap, instead her short and curly hair is out and framing her face in prettiest way.

Ah, his darling Clementine.

He'll never get enough of her.

“Violet told me to draw this for you.”

A.J’s voice snaps Louis out of his lovesick reverie as he glances down and sees a new piece of paper being offered to him by little hands. He takes the paper and flips it over to reveal the drawing.

There's an orange circle with an inner circle in the middle of it colored brown; stick arms and legs protrude from the orange circle.

Louis racks his brain to try and figure out what the drawing is depicting but he's coming up blank. “Oh, this is awesome!” he says anyway, because, well, _it is_ awesome that A.J thought to draw something for him personally. “What's this supposed to be, little man?”

Doesn't hurt to ask, right?

“You as a cantaloupe!”

It _absolutely_ hurt to ask!

 _Don't cringe. Do not cringe. For the love of God do not cringe at a little kid’s drawing_.

“Wow! This is…” Louis holds the drawing at arm’s length and tries very hard not to grimace. “Just… everything I've ever wanted. I love it.”

Across the room, Clementine stifles her laughter behind her hand.

A.J grins up at him, glowing from the praise and completely unaware of how close the other boy is to having a meltdown. “Violet said you would like it!”

Louis puts the paper next to him, cantaloupe side _down_ , and makes a mental note to get back at Violet somehow.

A yawn escapes A.J’s mouth signaling Clem to usher the boy to bed. She stands up and steps beside A.J with one hand on her hip and the other landing on his shoulder. “Time for bed, goofball.”

A displeased groan from the kid. “ _Fiiine._ ” He begins putting his coloring pencils away.

“That was easy,” Clementine says, eyes finding Louis.

He nods at her, also impressed that A.J agreed to go to bed so readily tonight. It usually takes five _“ten more minutes”_ before he even starts to clean up.

As A.J shuffles over to his bed, Clementine says, “No sleeping on the floor today. We have an extra pair of eyes tonight.”

All of a sudden, A.J narrows his eyes and glares at Louis. “Don't let anything happen to Clem.”

“I'd never, little buddy.” He swore that to himself when he stepped in front of a gun to shield her.

A.J is satisfied with that answer as he climbs onto his bed and faces the wall to sleep.

The rest of the night passes in a blur. When it's just him and Clem time tends not to exist. They spend the next hour or so talking—low enough so they don't disturb A.J—about everything and nothing. At some point Louis moved from his perch on the desk to sitting on the edge of Clementine’s bed, beside her.

Nothing is off limits when they speak anymore. Sometimes they reminisce about the old world. Sometimes he'll tell her about the boarding school before the dead started walking or when his heart is feeling particularly heavy he'll talk about Marlon or Brody or Sophie and Minerva. Sometimes she'll tell him about some of the fucked up things she’s experienced out in world, fighting for her life, or when she has that painful look in her eyes she'll talk about Lee and Kenny and the numerous other people she's come to know and lost.

He can't exactly pinpoint _when_ it happened, but at some point in their friendship they found solace in each other.

And in a world where support and comfort is few and far between, as scarce as food was these days, they accept it without any questions.

“I'm just sayin’. Don't do it. Ever. You'll regret it.”

“All right.” Clementine yawns into a closed fist before resting her head on Louis’ shoulder. “I'll take your word for it.”

“Tired?”

She lifts her head and nods. “A little, yeah.”

Louis places his hands on his knees in preparation to stand up. “Okay, I can tell when I'm not wanted.”

Clem rolls her eyes. “We talked for what felt like hours. If you weren't wanted I woulda kicked you out a long time ago.”

He places a hand over his heart. “I love a woman who can kick my ass.”

She shoves him playfully. “Oh shut up.”

He smirks at her. “A kiss for the road?”

“Your room is literally down the hall.”

“Yeah, a very _dark_ and very _long_ hallway. Anything could happen to me! What if I accidentally wake Aasim up? I'm a goner.”

Clementine gives him a flat look, but the corners of her mouth twitch, hiding her amusement.

Louis doesn't break their eye contact, still smiling at her like a smitten fool, until he notices her eyes flit over to A.J’s still form.

_Oh? We're doing this?_

His pulse starts to pick up once he realizes that, _yes_ , Clem might actually kiss him goodnight right now.

He was joking of course, he's _Louis_ , that's what he _does_ , but if she actually wants to kiss him who is he to deny that?

Her reluctant energy is tangible between them as her eyes keep straying back to the sleeping kid mere paces away from them, so Louis tries to reassure her. “He's knocked out. Don't worry,” he says, his voice low.

Clementine spares A.J one last glance before settling on Louis. “Just _one_.”

Louis swallows and nods, forgetting how to formulate words as he looks into her striking amber eyes, illuminated by the lantern and the moon and _wow._

He can't believe he gets to kiss this super incredible girl.

It happens fast. Clementine reaches out and grabs the lapels of his trench coat to pull him closer to her. She plants a quick peck on his lips and the butterflies that have taken permanent residence in his stomach since that first day he met her in the piano room start to flutter uncontrollably.

The funny thing is, this isn't even their first kiss.

They've kissed before on more private occasions—fleeting moments shared between just the two of them—but still, every time leaves his heart pounding like a steel drum. Each beat pulsates loudly in his ears, makes him feel like he's underwater but suspended in the air at the same time. It's an amazing feeling that only she provides.

These are the moments he wants to live in forever.

Clementine starts to pulls away, their lips millimeters away, but Louis doesn't want this feeling to ebb away, _not yet_ , so he places a hand on her wrist—still clutching his jacket—and follows her lips with his own, reinitiating the kiss. A noise of surprise sounds in her throat and Louis tries hard not to break the kiss by laughing but it's a struggle. She's so cute.

Clem smiles. “I said _one_ ,” she mumbles against his lips but then she's kissing him back, leaving very little room for protest.

  


The minute A.J’s head hit the mattress he was out like a light. He was outside all day today and his little body ached and yearned to rest. Not before he did his nighttime coloring with Louis, though! The older boy comes to his and Clementine’s room at least once a week to hang out and color with him and sometimes even Tenn will join them.

Hanging out with Louis is always pretty fun. After being around dangerous adults for so long and being otherwise preoccupied with protecting Clementine, it's nice to unwind and just have _fun_ for once. It's easy to relax around Louis. Maybe it's because he's kinda like a big kid himself.

Also, his hair is cool!

Anyway, A.J _was_ sleeping before his eyes snapped open. Just like that he’s awake. Unfortunately, this is a common sleep time practice for A.J. One minute he'll be lost in a deep, dark sleep, the next minute he'll be awake, scanning his surroundings for anything unusual and listening for unfamiliar footsteps. Once he's sure they're safe, he'll watch Clementine until his eyelids get heavy and he falls back into a fitful sleep.

But something is different tonight.

With his back still facing Clementine’s side of the room, A.J stares straight ahead at the wall and listens.

He didn't hear Clem’s usual soft, rhythmic breathing. In fact, he hears _two_ people breathing.

Without hesitation, he stretches his neck so he's looking over his shoulder at Clementine and… Louis?

_Kissing?_

“What are you guys doing?” A.J says, sitting upright now.

Clementine and Louis hastily break apart and whip their heads to A.J, sitting on his bed with his back against the wall, watching them with a confused expression.

Clementine inhales sharply. “A.J! You're awake!” she exclaims and pushes Louis away from her as she scoots a few inches to the right.

“Uh,” Louis starts, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “I should probably head out!”

The room may be dark, but the moon and the lantern provides enough light for A.J to see the red coloring on both of their faces.

“Yeah, it's about time we all went to bed.” Clementine stands up and heads for the door and Louis follows her. “Say goodnight, goofball.”

“Night!” A.J waves from his bed.

“Sleep tight, little man.” Louis waves back with a grin.

“Don't forget your drawing.” A.J points to the paper that lies face down on the desk.

“Ah, duh, of course! How could I… forget…” Louis mutters the last part of the sentence under his breath as he snatches up the paper and walks over the threshold to stand in the hallway.

Clementine holds the door open. “Goodnight, Louis.”

 _She's smiling_ ,  A.J notices. It's a smile he rarely sees on the older girl. It's soft, like the ones she gives him, but there's something different about it at the same time.

“Night, Clem.” Louis is smiling as well and the two speak with their eyes for a second before Louis is gone and Clementine is shutting the door behind him.

A.J watches her as she walks over to her bed and sits back down, slipping her shoes off.

“Ready for bed?” she asks him, avoiding his obvious staring.

“Why were you kissing Louis?” A.J questions. He doesn’t get why she flinches.

“You weren't supposed to see that.” Clementine sighs, her face flushed again.

She doesn't answer his question so he makes his own assumption. “Do you love him?”

“ _What_?”

“Tenn told me that when two people love each other, they do things like kiss on the lips and stuff.” A.J shrugs. “Is that why you were kissing Lou?”

Clementine gifts him with a soft smile. “I like Louis. He's nice.”

“You smile at him like you smile at me. You love me, so you must love him too.”

It's quiet for a moment. The faint chirping of crickets fills the silence. Clem seems to be lost in thought, but then she shakes her head and fixes her eyes on A.J. “It's time for bed now, okay?”

A.J sighs before lying on his back. _She totally loves him._

Clementine blows out the lantern and suddenly the room is engulfed in a deeper darkness than before. A few minutes pass before A.J speaks up one more time.

“It's okay if you love Louis,” he declares to the dark room. “His hair is cool.”

“Goodnight, goofball!”

**Author's Note:**

> *through tears* louis wouldn't hate A.J after the situation with marlon, ok? it'd take him some time but he'll understand that A.J is a child and he was only trying to protect clem! OK? thank u for coming to my ted talk. also thank you for reading!
> 
> ****  
> [chat w me on tumblr!](http://zvkos.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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